Table game apparatus



R BERGERIOUX 2,497,925

TABLE GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2. 1939 INVENTOR. lfi-wz fiaeeawoux- Feb. 21, 1950 Patented Feb. 21, 1950 TABLE GAME APPARATUS Ren Bergerioux, Saint-Cloud, France Application August 2, 1939, Serial No. 287,887 In France August 12, 1938 Section 3, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August 12, 1958 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to improvements in a game apparatus arranged on a table or platform.

In accordance with the invention a ball may be thrown by players to a plurality of sides, cor.- responding to fields provided on the table, in such a manner, for instance, that the said ball passes from the field of one side into a field of another adverse side, whereby predetermined rules are observed and each player has thus to protect his own field from the ball thrown from the adverse side and to attack, by means of the same ball, one or more adverse fields.

According to this invention, the ball is limited in its course above the table by means of a system of approximately vertical partitions, disposed on said table, convergin and extending to a common center and by means of which there are defined-a plurality of fields, each of which may be assigned to one player. In each of the said partitions there is provided, in the vicinity of, or adjacent to the common center, an opening through which the ball can pass from one field into another field.

The partitions forming part of the game device may be made in any suitable manner. Particularly they may be made, as shown in the drawings, of open work or lattice panels, formed by posts and bars which are assembled together. However they may also bemade of nets held between posts, or of a suitable combination of both structures. In order to prevent the ball from being thrown too far from the game apparatus the said ball may, according to a facultative modification, be tied by means of a cord, either to any point of the partitions, for instance at their crossing point (as shown in the drawing),

or to the table.

The outer limits of the field are represented by the edges of the table and the goals are also formed by the said edges of the table and it may be agreed that a player will have lost one goal when he has missed a ball which, if attached, has flown till the cord was stretched, or if unattached, has fallen on the ground after having crossed the said player's goal. I

The players may count the goals won by them each for himself, but they may also, in the case where they are four in number, for instance be associated in groups of two players affected to two fields, either one aside to the other, or one opposite to the. other. Moreover, if desired, only 7 one player may play against the other three, associated in the adverse side.

Several embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a four partition device with openings in the lower part, of said partitions and adjacent to the common center of the device, the partitions being shown as open-work or lattice panels; a

Fig. 2 shows another four partition device in which the partitions are made partly of lattice panels and partly of nets, an opening being provided in each panel, located in the upper part of said panel, next to the common center;

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment in which the said openings, extending from the surface of the table up to a suitable height, next to the common center, have the general shape of arches.

In Fig. 3 the ball has been shown as attached by means of a cord to the center of the system, but as stated above, this feature is only facultative.

The game apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises four partitions Ei-Ei extending from the center and dividing the area of the table into four fields. Each of the four partitions is provided, in the lower part of it and adjacent to the central crossing point, with an opening through which a ball (not shown) can pass. Each partition El-E4 is made of an outer post D1, D2, D3 and D4 and an inner post B1, B2, B3 and B4 on both of which are fixed the outer bracing members 0, the inner bracing members P being fixed at one of their ends on post B and bein assembled crosswise at their other end. It is possible to modify the height of the panels above the openings by eliminating one or more bracing members.

The game apparatus, as disclosed in Fig. 2 comprises again four partitions E1 E29, Ills and E4 extending from the common center and dividing the area of the table into four fields.

Each of the partitions E19 to E4 is also made of an outer post D1, D2 Ds and D4, respectively, and an inner post B1 B2 B3 and B49, respectively. The corresponding posts are connected by means of outer bracing members 0 while only one bracing member P has left above each opening, provided adjacent the center, so that, in this embodiment, the panel is substituted by only one bar or bracing member. A ball (not shown) may be attached, by means of a cord, to the panel crossing point, which has the advantage that the ball cannot be thrown far from the game apparatus. Of course, the ball might be attached to any other point of the apparatus, for instance, to the table itself and it is also possible to use such an attached ball with the other embodiments of the game apparatus, such feature being, however, always facultative.

The embodiment disclosed in-Fig. 3 issubstantially identical with that shown in Figs. '1 and 2 and comprises four partitions E1 E2", E3 and E4 extending from the common center and dividing the area of the table into four fields. Each of the partitions E1 to E4 is again made of an outer post D1 Dz De and Di ,respectively, and an inner post Bi B2 Ba and Bi respectively. Each pair of corresponding inner andouterposts are connected by means of outer bracing members O. The inner bracin members "P are disposed at a suitable angle to the common center,

so as to form arches above the communication openings.

With the game apparatus mounted on a table "according to this invention the ball: may be thrown by any suitable means and, particularly, there may be-used rackets of the kind used'with other -'ball 'games on tables such as table-tennis games. In this case, the dimensions of the above-men- 'tioned arches will be advantageously calculated in such a manner that the height a of the arch, near the separating partition, is less than the wi'dth'of'theracket andthat on the-other hand, the height of the arch of the center b'is'greater *than-saidwidth. By means of this arrangement thepossibilityof a player injuring with his racket the hand of another player is avoided.

In order toc'onvert a game apparatus with crossed panels for four players such as shown in the-drawings, into a game for three ortwo players, an additional partition M -can be arranged, as'shown in Fig. 3, in'front of the openings, and a panel N forming a ceiling, in the triangles form'ed betweenthe openings'and the correspondingbars-ef the crossing.

In my copending application Ser. No. 37,341, there is described a device for sporting gameson 'the' ground-having with the device for sporting "games on a'table according'to this invention certain analogies. mention, the players disposed around the table 'liave'to defend the goals formed by the edges of the table.

Similar games to-th'cse played withth'e present apparatus, having morethan' two compartments 'may'be'played with an apparatushavln'g only two compartments, viz: the two? players assigned each to one compartment will endeavor to send'the ball into the opponents goal, either dire'ctlyyor by way of the cushion eifectthat isto say by projecting the ball'against' the side panelswith the intention of making'the rebouncin'gball'enter the 'opponents: goal.

While Ihave disclosed several .embodimentsof the present invention, it isto be'underst'ood that 3these embodiments are given by example only andnot in a limiting sense,.the scope of themvention being determined by the'objects'and the However, in the case f this in- A 4 each pair of adjacent fields, each of said par titions having an opening adjacent said common center, means for limiting the vertical dimensions of said opening, and a tethered ball secured to said common center and adapted to be thrown by the players into the respective fields.

2. A game apparatus comprising a base, a plurality of fields disposed on said base around and extending from a common center, a plurality of substantially vertical partitions formed .at least partly .of nets converging and'extending to said common center and separating each pair of adjacent fields, each of said partitions having an opening adjacent said common center, means for limiting the vertical dimensions of said opening, and'a tethered ball secured to said common center and adapted to be thrown by the players into the "respective fields.

3. A game apparatus comprising a base, a plu- ;ralityiof:fields-disposed on said base around and extendin from said common center, a plurality of substantially vertical partitions converging and extending to said common center and separating each pair of adjacent fields, each of said partitions having an opening adjacent said common center, means 'for limitingth'e vertical dimensions of said opening, said limiting means consi'sting of portions of said partitions extending :from'said base'upto a predetermined height, and a tethered ball secured to said common center tions having an opening adjacent said common center, means for'limiting' the'vertical dimensions of said opening, said limitingm'eans consisting atleast partly of portions Iof saidspartitions disposed above said opening, and a tetheredball secured to said common center and 'ad'apted'to be .thrown by the players into the respective fields.

'5. A game apparatus comprising a base, aplurality of fields. disposed .on.said base 1 around .and extending lfromi-said common center, .a plurality ofsubstantially verticalpartitions converging. and extending tosaid common centerand separating each pair-of adjacent fields, eachrof .said par- .titions having an openin adjacent said common center, means1for limiting the vertical dimensions of. said opening, said'limitingmeans consisting of a single bar,. and :a tethered 'ballzsecured to-said common .center and adapted to be thrown by theplayers intoitherespective fields.

6. A. game apparatus comprising a rbase, a pmrality of fields :disposed on said-base around: and extending from said common center azplur-alityof "substantially vertical partitions converging. and iextending to SalGLCOmmOIIJCQHtETi and separating 'eachz airof Iadjacent fields, each'o'f saidv partitionshaving an opening adjacent saidicommon center, means: for limiting the vertical :dimensinns of said op'ening, :said limiting means being :dis posed at'predetermined angles to Oneanotheriin order to provide openings of substantiallyi'arch shape; and a tethered ballsecured to saidcommon center "and Y adapted to be thrown by the players intotherespectivefields.

RENE BER'GERIOUX.

"(References on" following page) Taylor Oct. 6, 1925 Name Date Brown June 28, 1927 Greenan Nov. 8, 1932 Forsyth Jan. 5, 1937 McKeown Nov. 5, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Nov. 21, 1913 Great Britain Oct. 9, 1930 Great Britain Apr. 12, 1934 France July 10, 1939 

